Udupi Paryaya: Low key, yet reverence resonates in temple town

Udupi: The 765-year-old temple city did not sleep on the night of 17 January (Monday) till daybreak on Tuesday. This night is spent by the people of Udupi irrespective of religion, caste and creed in the name of the presiding deity -Kadugolu Krishna.

This city is also known for one of the leelas of Krishna as recently as the 16th century when Kanakadasa the composer of Dasa keerthanas was not given entrance into the Krishna temple and made to wait outside for days. Krishna's idol turned from East to West with a hole in the temple's walls. This is now 'Kanakana Kindi'. The Gopuram outside is known as Kanaka Gopura and a premium Sabha Griha inside the temple has been named as Kanaka Mantapa.

This temple town also became the first temple in the country to infuse democratic norms of change of power to administer the temple among the Eight Mutts (hermitages). These are called Ashta Mutts in Kannada and Sanskrit each headed by a 'Yathi' (swamiji) who take turns to perform poojas once in two years which is called Paryaya. In normal times Paryaya is a grand affair, but this time due covid things have been pruned and only few religious functions will be held.

Madhwacharya and the legend of Udupi

The town is in the grip of Paryaya- the biennial festival only this town can boast of in all the religious circles. Madhwacharya was one of the three prominent philosophers along with Aadi Shankara (Advaitha) and Ramanujacharya (Vishitadwaitha) of Melkote in Mandya district, Madhwacharya was the proponent of Dwaith philosophy (dualism).

The legend goes to say that Madhwacharya was the incarnation of the god of wind (Vayu) this legend also equates him with Hanuma (Tretha yuga) Bheema (Dwapara yuga) and Madhwa (Kali yuga). Using his power of controlling wind velocity, he saved a ship going from Dwaraka to an unknown destination at a place called Vadabandeshwara beach near Malpe in ancient Udupi.

The captain of the ship immediately understood that this was no ordinary man who had saved his ship from sinking and came to the shore and offered the well-built swamiji anything that he wanted from the ship. Madhwacharya pointed out from his 'divya drishti' that there were two bundles of gopi chandana –used by Brahmins for their daily poojas which cannot leave the Bharata Khanda. The captain gladly presented the bundles, took his blessings and left.

Inside the bundles were the two idols of Kadugolu Krishna and that of his brother 'Haladhara' Balarama. Madhwacharya established Balarama in Vadabandeshwara and Krishna in Udupi during late 13th century. After establishing the temple at Udupi he anointed 8 Brahmacharis taken from nearby villages of Pejavara, Adamaru, Phalimaru, Krishnapura, Sode, Kaniyoor, Shirooru and Puthige, they all lived inside Matha (monastery) around the Krishna temple, continued their education and performed poojas to the deity their Guru had established.

Before Madhwacharya handed over the temple to them he asked each of them to take turns every two months to perform poojas to Krishna's idol which he called 'Paryaya'. The same system continued till the end of the 15th century when Vadiraja swamiji of Sode Math later enhanced the period from two months to two years which is being followed even today. This year happens to be the 33rd cycle of Udupi Paryaya. This time Vidyasagara Thirtha Swamiji of Krishnapur mutt who is the senior-most among the ashta mutt Swamiji's will ascend the Sarvajna peetham which is a wooden Peeta that existed from the time of Madhwacharya, for the next two years he will administer the Krishna temple and perform poojas to Lord Krishna's idol in the temple.

A great scholar Madhwa Raddhantha said that Swamiji's first priority was to make every devotee who visits the Udupi temple go back with fond memories and fruitful darshan and he must be able to relate his happiness to the visit he made to Udupi.

Entire Udupi has been lit up, especially the car street area where there were eight mathas and three temples –Chandramouleshwara, Anantheshwara and Raghavendra swami Brindavana and at the centre of it the entire Krishna temple. The Madhwa Sarovara has been decked up with flowers and lights and all the three chariots the Brahmaratha, Garuda Ratha and Sanna Ratha have been given new claddings. The Silver, gold and diamond chariots have also been readied for Utsavas.

Usually, over two lakh people visit Udupi and Krishna math but this time due to Covid not even 25,000 people were expected to take part in the week-long celebrations. The usual Anna Daana (mass feeding) has been cancelled.

The Police will have to work overtime, but in a full range of security preparation Superintendent of Police Dr Vishnuvardhan and his team were busy making the city Covid compliant. Even those people who attend the grand Durbar at Rajangana will have to produce their Covid compliant certificates and wear masks compulsorily throughout the two-hour Durbar on Tuesday

The handing over of administrative powers from the outgoing Puthige Mutt Swamiji to the incoming Krishnaur Swamiji will happen at Brahmi Muhurtam at the anteroom of the sanctum sanctorum by handing over the Akshaya Patra and a traditional wooden ladle to the new Swamiji.